We need your help. For too many people, a walk is a deadly risk. Poorly designed streets have led to an epidemic of pedestrian fatalities, especially among people of color and in our nation’s poorest neighborhoods.

Last week we announced the six new communities that will receive one of our free standard technical assistance workshops in 2017. This program, now in its sixth year and funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Sustainable Communities’ Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program, has helped more than 70 communities across the country use development strategies to meet their goals.

As we look forward to working with next year’s communities, we wanted to take a moment to look back on the diversity of faces and places we’ve visited this year.

Catch up on the conversations from Street Lights 2016— This month we had the honor of hosting Street Lights 2016, the National Complete Streets Coalition’s first-ever national conference, in Sacramento, CA. Leaders from across the country came together to share ideas, inspiration, and calls for actions on Complete Streets particularly as they relate to equity and implementation, two pillars of the Coalition’s core mission. Read the event recap, view the photo album, and check out our Storify of the event.

Raleigh, NC is well on its way to becoming one of the South’s next major population hubs. To accommodate that rapid population growth and to help more people participate in the economic growth it will likely entail, Raleigh leaders are planning to create a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line. In October, Smart Growth America traveled to Raleigh to convene a Successful and Equitable Revitalization workshop to help the community ensure that project is both economically successful and socially equitable.

Last week I had the honor of opening Street Lights 2016, the National Complete Streets Coalition’s first-ever national conference, in Sacramento, California. Leaders from across the country came together on November 15 to share ideas, inspiration, and calls for actions on Complete Streets particularly as they relate to equity and implementation, two pillars of the Coalition’s core mission.

Small-scale manufacturers like woodworkers, steel fabricators, hardware prototypers, microbrewers, and coffee roasters with regional distribution have emerged as a significant force in today’s urban economy. For many cities and neighborhoods suffering the loss of skilled-labor employers, this emerging, city-oriented industrial sector offers a powerful revitalization tool that can connect residents to good paying jobs and economic opportunity in the neighborhoods they call home.

This election season was tumultuous and divisive. For me, as president of an organization working to improve Americans’ lives by building better communities, it has brought a mixture of uncertainty, alarm, and hope. First, the uncertainty. With regard to economic development, tax policy, housing, infrastructure, and other federal programs that affect communities, the policies of … Continued

Thank you to everyone who joined this week’s LOCUS Webinar, Building the Next Walkable Places in Allentown, on Monday, November 14, 2016. During Monday’s webinar, Allentown leaders discussed the city’s incredible development potential, amazing transformation, and answered participant’s questions about the city’s development opportunities. Whether you missed this week’s presentation or want to watch … Continued

Election Day is right around the corner, and so are many polling places. The National Complete Streets Coalition wants to see your walk to cast your ballot on November 8. Will you be walking on safe and accessible streets, or will you have to navigate hazardous street designs like the one pictured here? People of all income levels should have … Continued